Kid Ink steers off the indie lane

Tonight / 12 February 2014, 10:54am

Munya Vomo

While the fans are just getting over the Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean concerts, another young rapper is set to make his mark on the South African market. Though he is not coming to South Africa just yet, Kid Ink is releasing his new album, My Own Lane, at the end of this month.

The Los Angeles native, who was born Brian Todd Collins, is well known for his incredible work which includes the hit song Show Me featuring Chris Brown. He has also collabo- rated with 2Chainz, Sean Kingston and Bow Wow.

With all that said, we just had to try to find out when the talented rapper would be coming to our shores.

“I heard that Sean and Kendrick came down there and whenever I hit the internet to find out the different places I am hot at, South Africa comes third. There is the US, Germany then South Africa and that really surprised me and I am humbled by it too,” said the artist.

With his album My Own Lane already receiving hype because of the Chris Brown collaboration, Kid Ink touched on a few reasons why you should get a copy.

“It’s me just giving off who the real Kid Ink is to those who are listening to me for the first time. I feel more than anything that I put a lot of effort in to tell people who I was (rather) than just going out there to make a bunch of hit records,” he said.

But as yet another rapper coming out of Los Angeles, where the likes of Tupac and Dr Dre are legends, Kid Ink did not hide the fact that it is hard for young rappers to come up with something different because the bar has been set so high.

“I think all the different West Coast rappers are pressured into not doing more than that sound that was big in the ’90s. Everyone didn’t even know how to attack it, especially when Game came out and still had that old sound. We were all trying to decide whether to keep the old ways or do some- thing new. In the end people did whatever they felt like and I believe whatever you do, someone, somewhere will relate,” explained the rapper.

Regarding his relationship with Brown, with whom Kid Ink had produced a few songs before Show Me, he said they were friends outside the music game.

“We are really cool and he hit me up the other day, talking about his clothing line.

“We met when I was doing the independent stuff and we have been cool since, so he’s the type of guy I could call up and just say: “Let’s do this joint (a song)’ and he’d just do it,” he explained.

Having just signed with the record label RCA, Kid Ink explained that it was a strategic move on his part as he felt the independent route limited his potential.

“What inspired me was wanting to do more and feeling like I was making the type of music people would want to hear, but were not getting it. So I was stuck in a box of being independent and it killed my potential.

“For some people it’s cool to be independent, but I am not in that lane,” he explained.

With legendary rappers Notorious B.I.G and Tupac dying because of turf wars and hip hop-related “beef”, we asked Kid Ink if that kind of atmosphere still existed in hip hop today.

“I think there is room for competition and not necessarily beef. I don’t think you need to hate anybody or want to fight every time you see someone, but you can battle them so they know you are their peer and competition,” he said.